Narrative:

I was on a sightseeing trip with a friend over new york harbor. A bird bounced off the windshield creating a small crack. In less than 1/2 a second, 50% of the windshield caved in and struck me in the face. My passenger was struck on the forehead and lip. It felt as if someone had punched me in the face. After recovering my glasses, it took about 5 seconds to get control of the airplane. The altimeter read 900 ft, but I could see we were less than 200 ft AGL. For this reason I believed the onrush of air had caused a malfunction of the static system. This was further confirmed by the fact that my airspeed indicator was barely in the green arc, despite indications to the contrary, such as a GPS ground speed of 122 KTS and a tachometer reading of 2300 RPM. As a result of the airspeed indicator being unreliable, I felt a long runway was needed. I called new york approach to get vectors to land at teb. My closest airport was linden, but I believed a longer runway was needed. New york approach suggested ewr, which was 3 mins closer than teb. I preferred a vector to teb, because I was more familiar with the obstacle clrncs and runways at teb. Holding a map and even changing radio frequencys was very difficult with all the wind in the cockpit. I was having difficulty keeping a steady altitude and heading, since my free hand was used to hold onto a piece of the windshield and loose maps were flying around the cockpit. I had to enlist the help of my passenger, when the other 50% of the windshield was on the verge of giving way. She held onto the jagged piece for the duration of the flight. She was very calm and helpful. I had briefed her about her 'duties in the cockpit' and what to do in the case of an emergency. The tips about CRM from callback over the yrs had paid off in spades. There were many birds in the harbor that day, and I had avoided several before being hit. I would like to say that greater vigilance would have helped, but I'm not sure that's true, since I am very paranoid while flying over new york harbor. I have always felt that any low altitude flight has a high level of risk in any aircraft. I am no longer taking passenger around new york harbor for sightseeing. I felt that the controller, who was very helpful in general, should not have started to ask me about flight plan issues. At one point he asked me about the amount of fuel remaining, number of souls aboard, etc. Even though I knew he was trying to be helpful, he did not realize that it was very difficult to communicate in a wind blown cockpit. Just pressing the push-to-talk button became a chore. But this last item is merely a quibble -- in general, everyone involved did a good job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AA-1 YANKEE PVT PLT SUFFERS A WINDSHIELD FAILURE FROM A BIRD STRIKE DURING A LOW LEVEL CIVIL OP OVER NEW YORK HARBOR AT 900 FT AGL 10 MI N OF COL, NJ.

Narrative: I WAS ON A SIGHTSEEING TRIP WITH A FRIEND OVER NEW YORK HARBOR. A BIRD BOUNCED OFF THE WINDSHIELD CREATING A SMALL CRACK. IN LESS THAN 1/2 A SECOND, 50% OF THE WINDSHIELD CAVED IN AND STRUCK ME IN THE FACE. MY PAX WAS STRUCK ON THE FOREHEAD AND LIP. IT FELT AS IF SOMEONE HAD PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE. AFTER RECOVERING MY GLASSES, IT TOOK ABOUT 5 SECONDS TO GET CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE ALTIMETER READ 900 FT, BUT I COULD SEE WE WERE LESS THAN 200 FT AGL. FOR THIS REASON I BELIEVED THE ONRUSH OF AIR HAD CAUSED A MALFUNCTION OF THE STATIC SYS. THIS WAS FURTHER CONFIRMED BY THE FACT THAT MY AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS BARELY IN THE GREEN ARC, DESPITE INDICATIONS TO THE CONTRARY, SUCH AS A GPS GND SPD OF 122 KTS AND A TACHOMETER READING OF 2300 RPM. AS A RESULT OF THE AIRSPD INDICATOR BEING UNRELIABLE, I FELT A LONG RWY WAS NEEDED. I CALLED NEW YORK APCH TO GET VECTORS TO LAND AT TEB. MY CLOSEST ARPT WAS LINDEN, BUT I BELIEVED A LONGER RWY WAS NEEDED. NEW YORK APCH SUGGESTED EWR, WHICH WAS 3 MINS CLOSER THAN TEB. I PREFERRED A VECTOR TO TEB, BECAUSE I WAS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE OBSTACLE CLRNCS AND RWYS AT TEB. HOLDING A MAP AND EVEN CHANGING RADIO FREQS WAS VERY DIFFICULT WITH ALL THE WIND IN THE COCKPIT. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY KEEPING A STEADY ALT AND HDG, SINCE MY FREE HAND WAS USED TO HOLD ONTO A PIECE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND LOOSE MAPS WERE FLYING AROUND THE COCKPIT. I HAD TO ENLIST THE HELP OF MY PAX, WHEN THE OTHER 50% OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS ON THE VERGE OF GIVING WAY. SHE HELD ONTO THE JAGGED PIECE FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. SHE WAS VERY CALM AND HELPFUL. I HAD BRIEFED HER ABOUT HER 'DUTIES IN THE COCKPIT' AND WHAT TO DO IN THE CASE OF AN EMER. THE TIPS ABOUT CRM FROM CALLBACK OVER THE YRS HAD PAID OFF IN SPADES. THERE WERE MANY BIRDS IN THE HARBOR THAT DAY, AND I HAD AVOIDED SEVERAL BEFORE BEING HIT. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT GREATER VIGILANCE WOULD HAVE HELPED, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT'S TRUE, SINCE I AM VERY PARANOID WHILE FLYING OVER NEW YORK HARBOR. I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT ANY LOW ALT FLT HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF RISK IN ANY ACFT. I AM NO LONGER TAKING PAX AROUND NEW YORK HARBOR FOR SIGHTSEEING. I FELT THAT THE CTLR, WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL IN GENERAL, SHOULD NOT HAVE STARTED TO ASK ME ABOUT FLT PLAN ISSUES. AT ONE POINT HE ASKED ME ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING, NUMBER OF SOULS ABOARD, ETC. EVEN THOUGH I KNEW HE WAS TRYING TO BE HELPFUL, HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE IN A WIND BLOWN COCKPIT. JUST PRESSING THE PUSH-TO-TALK BUTTON BECAME A CHORE. BUT THIS LAST ITEM IS MERELY A QUIBBLE -- IN GENERAL, EVERYONE INVOLVED DID A GOOD JOB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.